Poor and Proud or the Fortunes of Katy Redburn Part 18

CHAPTER XIII.

KATY EMPLOYS AN a.s.sISTANT.

As winter approached, Katy realized that the demand for mola.s.ses candy was on the increase, and she found it necessary to make a much larger quant.i.ty. Mrs. Colvin still rendered her a.s.sistance "for a consideration," and the supply was thus made to correspond with the demand.

Mrs. Redburn's health which had begun to improve with the advent of their prosperity, now enabled her to sit up nearly the whole day, and to render much aid in the household affairs, and especially in the manufacturing of the candy. The good fortune that had attended Katy's efforts brought many additional comforts to their humble dwelling; indeed, they had everything that they needed, and everything that any poor person would have required. But the fond mother had never been able to reconcile herself to the business which Katy followed. She dreaded every day lest the temptations to which it constantly exposed her might lead her astray. She loved her daughter with all her heart, and she would rather have died in poverty and want than have had her corrupted. She had every reason to believe that Katy was the pure and innocent child she had always been; but she feared, as she grew older, that some harm might befall her. She would rather bury her than see her become a bad person, and she hoped soon to be able to resume her own labors, and let Katy abandon her dangerous business.

Mrs. Redburn often talked with her about the perils that lay in her path; but Katy spoke like one who was fortified by good resolutions and a strong will. She declared that she knew what dangers were in her way, and that she could resist all the temptations that beset her. Whatever views the mother had, there seemed to be no opportunity to carry them out, for by Katy's labors they were fed, clothed, and housed. She was her mother's only support, and the candy trade, perilous as it was, could not be given up.

Katy did not desire to abandon the business she had built up, for she was proud of her achievement. She was resolved to be good and true, and to her it did not seem half so perilous as to others. She had even indulged some thoughts of enlarging her business. Why could she not have a shop, and sell candy on a counter as well as in the street? She mentioned this idea to her mother, who was sure the shop could not succeed, for she was aware that her daughter's winning manners were more than half her stock in trade, and that her large sales resulted from carrying the candy to hundreds of people who did not want it enough to go after it. Therefore Katy gave up the shop at once, but she did not abandon the idea of enlarging her business, though she did not exactly see how it could be done. One day an accident solved the problem for her, and at that time commenced a new era in the candy trade.

One pleasant morning in November, as she walked up the court, she met Ann Grippen, a sister of Johnny who stopped to talk with her. The Grippen family consisted of eleven persons. The father was a day laborer, and as his wages were small, and he had a great many mouths to feed, they were, of course, miserably poor. The older children showed no ability or disposition to help their parents but spent most of their time in strolling about the streets. Johnny was a fair specimen of the boys, as Ann was of the girls. She might have been seen almost any day with a well-worn basket on her arm, exploring the streets and wharves in search of chips, for Johnny was too vicious to do the work which more properly belonged to him.

"You sell lots of candy now--don't you?" said Ann.

"Yes, a great deal," replied Katy, who was not disposed to spend her time idly, and in the company of one whose reputation in the neighborhood was not very good.

"Stop a minute--won't you? I want to speak to you."

"I will; but be as quick as you can, for I am in a hurry."

"Don't you think I could sell candy?" continued Ann.

"I dare say you could. Why don't you try, if you want to?"

"But I haven't got no candy; and mother can't make it, as you can. If you are a mind to let me have some, I will sell it for you, and you may give me what you like."

The idea struck the little merchant very favorably. There were a great many girls just like Ann Grippen, who were wasting their time about the streets, and learning to be wicked. Why couldn't she employ them to sell candy?

"I will try you," replied Katy.

"Well, I'm all ready to begin."

"Not yet," said the little candy merchant, with a smile.

"Yes, I am."

"Your face and hands are very dirty."

"What odds will that make?" asked Ann, rather indignantly.

"Do you suppose anybody would eat a stick of candy after you had touched it with those dirty fingers? Your customers would be afraid of being poisoned."

"I s'pose I can wash 'em," replied Ann, who seemed still to regard it as a very unnecessary operation.

"It would be a good plan; and while you are about it you must not forget your face."

"I ain't a-going to touch the candy with my face," added Ann, triumphantly.

"Very true; but if people saw you with such a dirty face, they would be afraid your candy was not very clean."

"Any way you like. I will wash my face and hands both, if that's all."

"But that isn't all. Your dress is very dirty and very ragged."

"I can't afford to dress like a lady," said Ann, who had some of her brother's disposition, and under any other circ.u.mstances would have resented Katy's plain home thrusts.

"You needn't dress like a lady; but the neater and cleaner you are, the more candy you will sell."

"I will fix up as much as I can."

"Very well; if you will come to my house to-morrow morning, I will let you have some candy."

"How much will you give me for selling it?" asked Ann.

"I can't tell now; I will think about it, and let you know when you come."

Katy went her way, turning over and over in her mind the scheme which Ann's application had suggested to her. She might employ a dozen girls, or even more than that, and pay them so much a dozen for selling the candy. She might then stop going out to sell herself, and thus gratify her mother. She could even go to school, and still attend to her business.

When she returned home at noon, she proposed the plan to her mother.

Mrs. Redburn was much pleased with it, though she suggested many difficulties in the way of its success. The girls might not be honest; but if they were not, they could be discharged. Many of them were vicious; they would steal or be saucy, so that people would not permit them to enter their stores and offices, and the business would thus be brought into disrepute. Katy determined to employ the best girls she could find, and to tell them all that they must behave like ladies.

The next morning Ann Grippen appeared with her face and hands tolerably clean, and wearing a dress which by a liberal construction could be called decent. She brought a dirty, rusty old tray, which was the best she could obtain; yet in spite of all these disadvantages, the little candy merchant looked upon it as a hopeful case.

"Now, Ann, you must be very civil to everybody you meet," said Katy, as she covered the rusty tray with a sheet of clean white paper.

"I hope I know how to behave myself," replied Ann, rather crustily.

"I dare say you do;" and she might have hinted that there was some difference between knowing how to do a thing and doing it. "I was only going to tell you how to sell candy. If you don't want me to tell you, I won't."

"I should like to have you tell me, but I guess I know how to behave."

"You must be very civil to everybody, even when they don't speak very pleasant to you."

"I don't know about that," replied Ann, doubtfully, for it was contrary to the Grippen philosophy to be very civil to any one, much less to those who were not civil to them.

"When any one buys any candy of you, you must always say, 'Thank you'; and then the next time you meet the person he will buy again."

"How much you going to give me for selling?" demanded Ann, abruptly cutting short the instructions.

"Mother thinks you ought to have four cents a dozen."

"Four cents? My mother says I ought to have half, and I ain't going to sell your candy for no four cents a dozen."

"Very well; you needn't if you don't wish to do so;" and Katy removed the sheet of white paper she had placed over the dirty tray.

"You ought to give me half I get," added Ann, rather softened by Katy's firmness and decision.

"Four cents is enough. I often sell a hundred sticks in a day."